Independent car-axle.



0. A. GIRT; J. T. WILSON & A ATKINS. INDEPENDENT CAR AXLE. APPLICATIONFILED APRJZ, 1910.

977,002. Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. GIRT, JOHN '1. WILSON, AND ALBERT ATKINS, 0F RAINIER, OREGON.

INDEPENDENT CAR-AXLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. GIRT, JOHN T. WVILsoN, and ALBERTATKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Rainier, in thecounty of Columbia and State of Oregon, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Independent Car-Axles, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to car axles and more particularly to a sectionalaxle especially designed for use on the trucks of passenger cars,freight cars, logging cars and other railway rolling stock.

The object of the invention is to provide an axle formed of independentsections having their inner ends journaled in a suitable casingsuspended from the bottom of the car so as to permit free rotation ofone axle section relatively to the other when traveling around curves.

A further object is to form the inner ends of the axle sections withregistering recesses adapted to receive a connecting pin or ball, thusto maintain said sections in longitudinal alinement and at the same timereduce friction between the parts.

A further object is to provide means for suspending the axle casing orboxing from the bottom of the car, and means for supplying lubricant tothe inner ends of the axle sections.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference isto be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the front portion of a cartruck provided with a sectional axle constructed in accordance with ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view of the casing orboxing, the suspension bracket being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is aperspective view showing the casing sections detached and theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 555,124..

inner end of the axle sections in position to enter the casing; Fig. 1is a detail sectional view partly in section illustrating a modifiedform of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and inclicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The car axle forming the subject matter of the present invention ispreferably formed in two sections 5 and 6 having their outer endsprovided with the usual flanged wheels 7 and their inner ends formedwith registering recesses 8 adapted to receive a connecting pin 9. Thepin 9 is loosely mounted in the seating recesses 8 so as to preventfriction between the parts, said pin serving to maintain the axlesections in longitudinal alinement at all times.

Dependingifrom the bottom of the car, is a casing or boxing alsopreferably formed in two sections 10 and 11, said sections having theirabutting faces formed with registering grooves 12 constituting bearingsfor the adjacent axle sections 5 and 6.

Seated in one or both of the casing sections, is a brass 13 whichengages suitable collars 1 1 turned or shrunk on the inner ends of theaxle sections. The casing sections 10 and 11 are formed with verticallyalined openings 15 adapted to receive bolts or similar fastening devices16 by means of which the casing sections are held in assembled position.The lower casing section 11 is provided with a downwardly inclinedgroove 17 which registers with the brass 13 and by means of which oil orother lubricant may be fed to inner ends of the axle sections. The frontedge of the upper casing section 10 is provided with a verticallydisposed opening 18 which registers with the groove 17. The side wallsof the opening 18 are provided with dove-tailed grooves 19 between whichis slidably mounted a gate or closure 20 so that by elevating the gateor closure 20, cotton, waste or other lubricant may be introducedthrough the opening 18 into the groove 17 for the purpose of lubricatingthe parts.

Secured to the bottom of the car is a rub iron 20 from which issuspended a bracket 21, the latter being preferably formed of a singlepiece of metal having its intermediate portion extended over the rubiron and its opposite ends bent downwardly and thence inwardly to formhorizontally disposed flanges 22 having openings formed therein andregistering with the openings 15 to perrods 23 are extended over thecenter bolster 24 of the truck, as shown, for attachment to the casingor boxing on he opposite side of said bolster.

Horizontal braces 25 are secured to the opposite ends of each boxing orcasing and extend beneath the bottom of the center bolster 24, therebeing auxiliary inclined braces 26 secured to the opposite ends of thecasings on opposite sides of the bolster and also extended beneath saidbolster, as shown.

Attention is here called to the fact that the bolts or fastening devices16 not only serve to retain the casing sections in assembled position,but by engagement with the flanges 22 of the suspension brackets 21 andthe adjacent ends of the braces 23, 25 and 26, serve to rigidly clampsaid braces in engagement with the casings, thus to produce a strong,rigid structure and effectually prevent accidental displacement of saidcasings. If desired, the connecting pin 9 may be dispensed with and aball 27 interposed between the abutting ends of the axle sections 6, asbest shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings, and in some cases the axlesections may be of uniform cross-sectional diameter and the collars 14larger than the axle. When a ball is interposed between the axlesections, the inner ends of said sections will be provided withcorrespondingly shaped sockets 28 for the reception of said ball, asshown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a car including a truck, of a casing suspendedfrom the bottom of the car and free to move independently of the car,and a sectional axle, the inner ends of which are journaled in saidcasing and provided with registering recesses, and a single couplingmember seated in said recesses and forming a connection between the axlesections. 7 V

2. The combination with a car including a truck, of a rub iron securedto the bottom of the car, a casing, a bracket suspended from the rubiron and secured to the casing, an axle journaled in the casing andformed of mating sections having their abutting ends provided withregistering recesses, and a coupling member seated in said recesses-naled in the casing and formed of mating sections, a rub iron securedto the bottom of the car, a bracket suspended from the rub iron andprovided with flanges bearing against the upper casing section, andfastening devices extending through the flanges of the bracket andengaging the sections of the casing for clamping the several parts inassembled position.

4. The combination with a car including a truck, of a casing suspendedfrom the bottom of the car and formed of mating sections provided withregistering grooves, a sectional axle journaled in the grooves of thecasing, there being an inclined groove formed in one of the casingsections for the reception of a lubricant, and a cover slidably mounted011 the other casing section and forming a closure for the outer end ofthe inclined grooves.

5. The combination with a car including a truck, of a casing suspendedfrom the bottom of the car and formed of mating sections, one of whichis provided with a groove for the reception of a lubricant and the otherwith an opening communicating with said groove and having its side wallsprovided with dove-tailed recesses, a cover slidably mounted in thedove-tailed recesses and forming a closure for the groove and opening,respectively, an axle formed of mating sections, and fastening devicespiercing said casing sections for holding the latter in assembledposition.

7 6. The combination with a car including a truck, of a casing includingmating sections having registering perforations formed therein, a rubiron secured to the bottom of the car, a bracket having its intermediateport-ion engaging the rub iron and its opposite ends bent downwardly andthence inwardly to form perforated flanges bearing against the uppercasing section, a sectional axle journaled in the casing sections, andbolts extending through the perforations in the flanges and easingsections for clamping the parts in assembled position.

7. The combination with a car including a truck, having a centerbolster, of a sectional casing disposed on each side of the bolster,sectional axles journaled in said casings, suspension brackets havinginwardly extending flanges adapted to bear against the upper section ofeach casing, truss rods having their opposite ends interposed betweenthe flanges of the brackets and the adj aeent casing sections and theirintermediate portions extended over. the top of the center bolster,horizontal braces extending beneath the bottom of the center bolster andconnected with the casing sections, and bolts passing through theflanges, truss rods, horizontal braces and casing sections for securingthe parts in assembled position.

8. The combination with a car including a truck having a center bolster,of a sectional casing disposed on each side of the bolster, a sectionalaxle journaled in each casing, suspension brackets having inwardlyextending flanges bearing against the upper section of each casing,truss rods having their opposite ends interposed between the flanges ofthe brackets and the adjacent upper casing sections and theirintermediate portions extended over and bearing against the top of thecenter bolster, horizontal braces bearing against the bottom of thecenter bolster and engaging the lower casing section, auxiliary bracesinterposed between the flanges and upper casing section and alsoextending beneath the bottom of the bolster, and fastening devicespiercing the flanges, casing sections and adjacent braces for rigidlysecuring the several parts in assembled position.

In testimony whereof, we afi ix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES A. GIRT. L s.] JOHN T. WILSON. a 5. ALBERT ATKINS. [L s.]

l/Vitnesses:

GEO. W. VOGEL, N. D. JOHNSON.

